Head, Hand and Heart: An Investigation of Attitude Change in Pre-service Teachers Towards Students with Disabilities

Abstract

This paper reports on a research project conducted over a period of five years, with final-year pre-service students at a small Australian Christian tertiary education college. The study examined the students’ attitudes towards children with special needs, as measured before and after a mandatory special education course. This course focused on three aspects: the head, which constituted knowledge of characteristics of students with disabilities; the hand, which referred to knowledge of current research-based educational and supportive strategies matched to student needs; and the heart, which were attitudes of empathy, compassion, and support within a Christian framework. Strategies used by the lecturer to engender the attitude change revealed by the data are discussed.